Podcast: Dr Obando and Holistic Medicine

In this episode of Raising Indiana, we start a conversation about non-traditional veterinarian medicine and to kick it off and our first guest on the topic is Dr. Jackie Obando, who in 2000 founded MercyVet, an alternative and holistic vet practice in the Pacific Northwest.

In this episode we navigate the different terminologies like holistic, homeopathic, alternative medicine as well as the link between homeopathy and dog nutrition and the raw diet.

In the interest of disclosure, Hudson, who has suffered from severe food allergies, is on Nature's Variety Instinct, and it seems it is one of the only dog foods he can tolerate. In next week's episode, we talk with Jill Gainer, their Communications Director. Hope that you can join us this time next Thursday at RaisingIndiana.com

Podcast: PETS LLC

Where did my dog come from? And how did it get here? That may sound like a Talking Heads song but it's the charter mission of Peterson Express Transport Services (PETS LLC). If you adopt a dog halfway cross country, Kyle Peterson, the owner and operator, makes certain she gets to you safe and sound.

There's a backstory here, too. My first encounter with Kyle and PETS was just after the walk was completed in June 2010, I stopped over in Maryland to help a family for a week. From there I had to get back to Hudson and Murphy who were in Memphis and the folks at PETS gave me a lift and they were courteous enough not to make me travel in a kennel.  

Our producer, Sheila, has a more recent experience and in her words, "In October we adopted a rescued dog out to a young couple in CT and Kyle transported the dog, Sonic, for us. Sonic's new mom, Emily, wrote a short blog about adopting Sonic and his transport with PETS that's on Finding Fuzzybutt Four. And this Friday we are sending our latest foster, Lissette, with Kyle to her forever family in New England!"

PETS was part of a Reality show called Last Chance Highway and they've helped a whole lotta companion animals out.  Hope you enjoy our show with them.  

Podcast: Valentine's Day Special with Sheryl from Leashes and Lovers

"When you love someone eternally, having them in your life one second short of that is not long enough"

It's our Saint Valentine's edition of Raising Indiana and we have with us the 'Dog Lover's Matchmaker', Sheryl Mattys, author of the book Leashes and Lovers and a web based dating site by the same name.

We talk with Sheryl about how dogs can help us become better companions, whether single puppy parents should even try to date, and a cute but kinda creepy celebrity story.

Late last nite, I signed up to Leashes and Lovers and our profile name is, not surprisingly, TheFuzzybutts. Will we find a Mommy for Indiana there? If we do, we'll post it here on Raising Indiana.

Skijoring

Back at the APDT conference in 2010 Hudson and Murphy and I were invited out to Colorado to skijor.  Didn't know what heck that was back then but it sounded fun.    
Problem was when we returned to the Rockies I found out Murphy's cancer had spread and we never had the opportunity.    

We met a couple over the holidays, Donna and Larry, who skijor with their Pyrenees, Sophia, and little Westie, Gretty, and they invited us up to the White Mountains NH this past weekend to join them.  

First time out, I couldn't have been more pleased with the fuzzybutts.  Yeah me arse was in the snow more than once but cross country skiing in tandem with two inexperienced Pyrenees and a dunderhead for a dad I think we did quite well. 

Watching the video nearby, what do you think?

Podcast: Ian Dunbar

It's a double header tonite with two, count em, two episodes with the great Ian Dunbar.  There are people who write books on training and then there is the person who wrote the book on puppy training.

30 years ago last week (Happy Birthday!) Dr. Dunbar started SIRIUS Puppy Training, the world's very first off-leash puppy socialization and training classes. He is a Veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and dog trainer, an author and founder of Dog Star Daily, a destination website packed with videos from trainers round the world.

Episode 1: We talk about SIRIUS, the importance of early socialization, and how to make your puppy a party animal.

Episode 2:  How much training does a puppy need, the various training models, Sheila weighs in on the discussion, and Dr. Dunbar's wife, Kelly's work with animal shelters.